Did you know that many of the first people to experiment with and implement x-ray technology ended up dying of cancer? While x-ray technology revolutionized health care in several different industries, the technology also poses a significant risk to personal health when it is not used properly. The vital organs of the human system, in particular, are very susceptible to the harmful effects x-rays can pose.

That is why it is very important for all industries where radiation is used (from x-rays to nuclear technology) to find out what they need in the way of radiation protection. Not only the employees within the industry are affected by unsafe radiation practices, but patients, clients, customers, even people working close to the building where the radiation work is in progress, may all suffer the side effects of radiation when the proper shielding is not used.

This means that there are many different ways in which an industry needs to prevent radiation from leaking, through the use of shielding agents. Most of the time, these agents will be made from lead. Concrete does block radiation, but often that concrete has to be very thick, and the more radiation in question, the thicker the concrete barrier has to be.

Lead, on the other hand, is one of the densest elements there is; that is what makes it so heavy. Lead is so dense that radiation cannot pass through it; it does not have to be nearly as thick as concrete, and this means there are many applications when it comes to lead and protection.

The most common radiation protections in use today, as far as lead is concerned. are lead blankets and lead aprons. If you have ever been to the dentist or doctor's and received x-rays, then you have come into contact with these forms of radiation shielding; they are heavy and fit nicely over patients, protecting vital organs. For example, at Expressions dental centre in London they make certain each patient that requires xrays, understands the risk and the need for shields.

When it comes to medical shielding, x-rays are the most common harmful agent that a patient, or those administering the x-ray, is likely to come into contact with. Fortunately, the use of lead as a protective barrier prevents the rays from penetrating and doing harm.